Ginger Chai- Chi Whole Leaf

A sample from Chi Whole Leaf. I remember these arriving a while ago, but for some reason I never got around to trying them, and then stuff happened and I’m only just getting back on track. It’s pretty cold, rainy and miserable today, so I figured ginger chai would be a good thing to have. I’ve never tried powdered tea before, other than matcha (and that only recently), so I’m intrigued to see how it works out. I used 1/4 tsp of the powdered leaf, and used an electric whisk to mix it into a cup of hot water. I added a splash of milk to round things off because, well, it’s chai!

The dry powder smells wonderful – very cinnamon-heavy and reminiscent of those lebkuchen biscuits my family typically buy at Christmas. To taste, it’s thinner somehow than I was expecting. The hot water seems more prominent than it would with a normal loose leaf tea, which surprises me a bit. I was expecting maybe a thicker mouthfeel if anything, given that the powdered leaf is actually in the cup as opposed to just infused and removed…

The flavour is interesting, too. I’m not sure that I really get ginger, per se. I definitely get cinnamon – and quite a sharp cinnamon at that. It’s not as sweet or mellow as I would have liked. There’s a lingering spiciness/heat at the back of my throat that could be ginger, but it doesn’t really taste like ginger usually does. The most prominent flavour, for me, is rooibos. It’s a little woody and earthy, and while it pairs pretty well with cinnamon/ginger in my head, it’s kind of taking over things here. I’m going to be honest and say I’m a little half-hearted about this one. The flavour isn’t quite what I wanted it to be, although the spiciness comes out more and more with successive sips so it’s not a total fail. I liked trying something new, and the whole leaf powder is definitely an easy and convenient concept. No waiting around, no infuser to clean and wash. It’s perfect for a busy morning. I wouldn’t add this particular flavour to my cupboard in any quantity, but I have four other Chi samples left to try, so I’m hopeful that one of those might be more my thing.

ETA: One thing I did realise as I got towards the end of my cup is that the powder doesn’t stay mixed. Most of it, in fact, appears to be sitting at the bottom of my mug in a kind of waterlogged sludge. Not good if you happen to inadvertently swallow a mouthful, let me tell you.

Thanks to Chi Whole Leaf for the samples! This was easily my favorite of the bunch. It’s a light and spicy chai, with the dominant flavors being cinnamon, ginger, and anise. I used a milk frother to blend the powder into cold rice milk. The powder stayed suspended in the rice milk very well – only a small bit of settling at the bottom. I like that this is caffeine-free, so I can have it with dinner. It goes especially nicely with spicy Thai food. Yum.

I’m happy to say that of the 5 teas that Chi Whole Leaf offers, Ginger Chai was my favourite.

The strongest thing I tasted of this tea was the rooibos, oddly enough, rather than the ginger, cloves, or cinnamon. But like I said above, it’s fruity and peppery. (Perhaps the pepper note was just the ginger in disguise.) I think that the spices are helping to smooth out the rooibos.

Full review at: http://booksandtea.ca/2015/09/chi-whole-leaf-tea-reviews/

Water: 6oz

Leaves: Tea Powder

Steep: Instant

Aroma: Ginger

Color: light rust orange

Taste: Upon adding the powder to the cup my first thought on it’s appearance was it looked like taco seasoning due to the light rusty orange color . Adding water it transformed into a deep dark orange tone with scent of ginger. As for taste was more so like drinking hot water w/ no flavor and a hint of bitterness.

Thank you Chi Whole Leaf for this sample

This is a very tasty chai! Of all the teas so far, this one is definitely a favorite. There is a burn in the back of the throat often associated with ginger beer that I adore. I normally dislike rooibois, but this is actually really good mixed with the spices, giving it a vanilla taste with the earthy and spicy cinnamon and cloves. Overall, a very good tea and I would thoroughly recommend it.

i like how this was powdered so finely and the flavor was also good. well, all of the flavors were good! there was not one that i did not like. i also like that they are healthy herbs. easy to prepare – just add water :)

I am not the biggest chai fan. Rooibos is kind of hit or miss with me. This combines both and I liked it. No additives this was very mild with no rough edges. The clove, cinnamon, and rooibos play well together. Next I added a little sweetener. This made the ginger really jump out and heat up the cup. It was a little too intense for my taste. Next I added a splash of milk, because chai, you know. This was my favorite method. Very balanced.

Thank you Chi Whole Leaf for this sample.

This is not a review, ok well it is but it’s a pre-review. Tomorrow I aim to sit and review each of these properly, not to mention thoroughly. As for now out of the five samples received this is the one I am the most eager to try for two reasons. 1 – I LOVE ginger. 2 – I LOVE chai.

So a quick taste of this as I cannot wait any longer. Well, I’ve only had the sample for a couple of hours. It shows the power of temptation.

Anyway, back on point. This is sooo easy to make. 1/2 a teaspoon with boiling water, splash of milk and a thorough mix. Oh and I added sweetener today, just some calorie free stuff. Simple, takes seconds.

The mix smells spicy, not over the top spicy but it gave me an ‘ooph’ moment when I opened the little sachet.

In terms of flavour I must say….I AM LOVING IT! So much so that I am truly considering buying more, even though money is tight and I vowed not to buy any more tea. (Though after saying this I realize yesterday I placed an order with Siam Tea). Super naughty of me!

The ginger is mild but spicy and lingers in the after taste, and as for this being a Rooibos blend it’s actually very clean tasting. I can tell it is Rooibos but it’s mild in terms of flavour, it adds some body and sweetness above the chemical, herbal tones. Also says this one contains clove which I can pick out towards the after taste. Refreshing, spicy yet still subtle.

Yes. I do love this one. As I drink it more and more I can see myself taking this with me to friends houses and such for ease of making and transporting.

No rating today, shall wait until tomorrow. But for today, thumbs up.

Sipdown (127)!

Finishing this one off cold and whisked into cashew milk ‘cause I thought that would possibly make for an interesting iced chai type drink. It actually tastes really good; way better than the hot version did. It’s sweet and creamy with cardamom, ginger, and cinnamon notes that combine in a way that makes me think of Christmas baking?

However, I’m encountering major problems with getting the powder to whisk nicely into the cashew milk. No matter what I try it instantly separates and seems to float up to the surface of the cashew milk creating this gross mess. Nice taste, but not worth the fuss.

Simply due to the season, I’ve been trying my Chi Whole Leaf samples chilled. Still a couple to go, but this is my favorite so far. The rooibos and spices play nicely, with nobody obnoxiously clamoring for attention. Cold, it has a little bit of a root beer vibe to it. I can see this as a lovely latte when the weather cools down, and there’s a lot to be said for the ease of prep. No muss, no fuss, stir and get on with it!